Why Usalama exists

A lot of buying and selling in Tanzania now happens between people who have never met: a phone on Instagram, a dress on WhatsApp, a laptop from a stall in Kariakoo. It works until it doesn’t. The money is sent, and the goods never come.

Usalama exists so that two strangers can trade without either one having to go first on trust. The buyer’s money is held safely in the middle, and the seller is paid as soon as the buyer confirms the goods arrived.

We’re building it in Mbeya, for Tanzania: in Swahili first, for the phones people actually use, with the mobile money they already have.

Who is behind it

Usalama Escrow Limited was founded by Hashim Hassan, its director. The company was incorporated in Tanzania on 6 October 2026.